girls basketball.htm

TOM SAWYER NAMED COACH OF THE YEAR,

Classical Coach
After seeing his team fail to make the state tournament in 2007, Sawyer managed to overcome the loss of several key players and get the 2008 Rams into the postseason with a 10-10 record ... Team lost to Lexington in the first round.

Keila and Christina are All-Stars
KEILA BROWN, Classical - Senior point guard ... NEC all-star ... Averaged 12 points per game and two assists ... Ran the show ... Extremely aggressive ... Team co-Player of the Year.

CHRISTINA MCKENZIE, Classical - Senior guard ... NEC all-star ... Averaged 12 points per game ... Co-leading scorer on the team and co-Offensive Player of the Year for the Rams ... Led team from the free-throw line (75 percent).

Lynn Classical came into this season having graduated six seniors from their previous edition. After a 10-9 regular season and one playoff appearance (a 54-31 loss to Lexington High on February 28), the Lady Rams are right back where they started.
“We’re going to graduate six seniors again, and we’re surely going to miss them,” said head coach Tom Sawyer. “I was glad for them that we were able to qualify for the state tourney after not making it last year.”
Each of the six played a significant role for the 2007-2008 Rams, and each one will leave a different sort of void that must be filled by whoever steps up to take her place. Keila Brown, for example, was a dynamic floor general whom Coach Sawyer described as “the ultimate point guard”. In addition to being a confident ball-handler and play caller, Brown was a tenacious defender who had a knack for making the hustle plays.
Shardaye Berry, on the other hand, was a solid inside scoring threat who knew how to establish her position in the paint and go up with the ball or make the extra pass. Bryanna Connolly, meanwhile, was one of Classical’s top scoring options from the outside, and also was cited by Coach Sawyer as being the Rams’ best perimeter defender.
The Rams will also have to find a way to replace the offensive output of Christina McKenzie.
“She was our leading scorer and a very good outside shooter,” said Sawyer. “She was kind of a zone buster. When you play against teams that like to play the zone defense, you have to find someone who can knock down the outside shot and keep them honest.”
Another strong outside shooter and ball-handler who will be graduating is Shante Berry, whom Coach Sawyer described as a “steadying force for our team”. Last, but not least, the Rams will need to replace the leadership of captain Jill Reddy, who was often called upon to guard the top post threat of the opposition and was also a player who did all the little things that don’t necessarily show up in the scorebook, but are essential to any competitive team.
It was due in large part to the efforts of those six seniors that Coach Sawyer never had to deal with any notions of his Rams being in “rebuilding” mode. Sawyer is hopeful that he can count on his returning players to do the same in 2008-2009.
Three current juniors, Francis Mathew, Pierna Mora and Sochitta Men, have emerged this season as leaders of the next wave of Lady Rams. Men has developed into a major presence in the paint with her nose for the ball and good hands around the basket, while Mora and Mathew have become two of Classical’s biggest contributors in the backcourt.
Ashley Flores has also demonstrated a nice touch from the outside and to be the heir apparent to McKenzie as the player who keeps opposing defenses honest with accuracy from the perimeter. Freshman Hannah Byrne is sure to come back hungry after her promising start was cut short by a injury when she suffered a broken nose in the fourth game of the season.
“We’ve got a nucleus of returning juniors and sophomores, and I think some freshmen as well have the potential to help next year,” said Sawyer. “That’s what I told all the kids at the end of the year. ‘You have the potential to be a good basketball team next year.’ It’s going to be up to those girls to play AAU ball and play in the summer and continue working hard.”

LEXINGTON -- The Lynn Classical girls basketball team came out of the locker room in the third quarter and proceeded to play as if it was 0-0.

The only problem was ... it wasn't 0-0. The team was down by 19, after having scored only 10 points over the first 16 minutes.

Things didn't get better, in terms of math, in the final two quarters. The 19-point deficit grew to 23 by the end of the game, and the Classical girls team lost, 54-31, in the first round of the MIAA Division 1 North tournament, as Lexington maintained its edge through the latter part of the game.

But as far as Classical coach Tom Sawyer was concerned, his girls didn't simply pack it in and go through the motions.

"We came out after the half, and really competed with them," he said. "We scrambled to make things happen, but we just came up short."

Classical had no match for Lexington's height ... or its defensive tenacity.

"We won," said coach Paul McManus, "because we played defense. Our trap really worked tonight, and that was a big factor."

The Minutemen put on a halfcourt trap from the outset, and Classical had trouble getting the ball over halfcourt. The trap also led to some errant passes by the Rams, as the Minutemen scored a lot of points off turnovers.

"In the first half," Sawyer said, "we just couldn't get off the mark. A lot of shots went in and out, and it did seem as if there was a lid on the basket.

"But that's a good team over there," he said, referring to Lexington. "That halfcourt trap gave us a lot of trouble. But our kids played hard to the end, and that's what we do at Classical."

"They're a good team," said McManus. "We knew what they could do. We've seen them. (Christina) McKenzie and (Keila Brown) ... they're good players."

Lexington scored 11 points before Classical scored its first two -- on a basket by Brown. McKenzie had the other hoop in the first quarter, and Shardaye Berry hit a free throw.

It was more of the same in the second quarter. Lexington, led by the game's high scorer, Nina Ugwuomo (22 points), and Alyssa Zahka (11), scored seemingly at will, while Classical, again, couldn't put the ball in the basket. Finally, at the end of the quarter, Bryanna Connolly hit two free throws and another bucket to put Classical in double digits.

The Rams came to life in the third quarter, outscoring Lexington, 14-13, but it was clearly too little, too late.

McKenzie and Connolly had eight points apiece to lead Classical.

"We graduate six seniors, and we're going to miss them a lot," said Sawyer. "But I'm proud of them."

Lexington will host Peabody Friday (7) in a quarterfinal game.

LYNN -- On Senior Night at Classical, the Rams hosted their inner-city rival English and took a moment prior to the contest to honor both schools' graduating class. Once the pleasantries were finished, it was the Bulldogs who sent their seniors home with one last regular season victory over their arch nemesis.

English took advantage of a myriad of early Ram turnovers, found their stroke from the beyond the arc and ultimately completed the three-game season sweep over Classical with a 59-49 win.

"All these girls know each other and respect each other," said Bulldogs coach Fred Hogan. "It's tough to play a team three times and beat them all three times in the same season, especially in this kind of hostel environment. The girls really grew up here tonight."

English (12-6) opened on a 7-0 run thanks in part to five Ram turnovers in the opening 2:38. The Bulldogs extended their lead to 10-2 before a 6-0 Classical run to close the first quarter tightened the score at 12-9.

The Rams (10-10) continued their hot streak in the early moments of the second quarter. Frances Mathieu pulled down an English free throw miss, raced down the court and was fouled while banking home a lay-up. Mathieu hit the ensuing free throw to tie the game at 12 all.

"Frances has really come on at the end of the year," said Ram coach Tom Sawyer. "She had a career-high 18 points tonight. She has a nice touch around the basket, and she's quick enough to actually get to there."

Mathieu (six rebounds, two assists) continued her torrid pace and propelled her team to an 11-3 run and a 20-15 lead.

Sixteen seconds later, the Bulldogs were right back in it. Sophomore sparkplug and point guard Jenicia Duggins was fouled while shooting a three, sunk it off the glass and hit the free throw to bring English back within one. Both teams exchanged baskets for the final four minutes of the half, and the Bulldogs entered the intermission with a slim 31-28 advantage.

English maintained its lead in the third quarter, but Classical remained pesky and kept the score within a few baskets. The Rams pulled as close as 38-34 midway through the quarter, but a 21-9 Bulldog run proved to be the demise of Classical. English built its lead to 16 before a few late baskets in the waning moments brought the deficit back down to 10.

"I think it was a little bit of Senior Night jitters," Sawyer said in response to his team's 21 turnovers (13 in the first half).

"It's kind of the way we play. We don't take care of the ball like we should, but we always battle back and give ourselves a chance. You hope they learn from their mistakes, and I think the girls do. That's all you can ask for as a coach."

A major reason the Bulldogs were able to triumph over their adversaries was because of the dominance of Northeastern Conference Large MVP Jeanette Anderson. Anderson matched Mathieu for the game-high 18 points and also had 14 rebounds.

"She's a dominant player. She's relentless on the boards and always gives us the same consistency," Hogan said.

"I told her and Jenicia (Duggins) we were going to need them to step up tonight, and they did."

Duggins finished with four of her team's ten three pointers and 17 points. She also five rebounds, five assists, four steals and a block.

For the Rams, Christina McKenzie, Shante' Berry, Sochitta Men and Pierina Mora all had six points apiece.

Peabody 52, Classical 43 The Daily Item Roundup 2/13/08
At Peabody, the game was tied at the half and after being outscored by the Tanners, 23-10, in the third quarter, the Rams (10-9) managed to make it a game down the stretch. They cut the deficit to four with about two minutes remaining, but couldn't complete the comeback.

Peabody's Tawny Palmieri had 13 points and Lindsay Federico was good for 12 as the Tanners upped their record to 14-3, 13-2 Northeastern Conference. Federico also had 13 rebounds. The bench also provided some clutch play along the way for Peabody.

Michelle Grifoni Tuesday at Peabody High School. (ITEM PHOTO / REBA M. SALDANHA)

( Beats Salem Team 55-53 )
At Classical, the Rams spared coach Tom Sawyer a few gray hairs by defeating Salem to qualify for the state tournament. Classical (10-8) missed the cut last year. Had they lost to the Witches, the Rams would have needed to defeat either Northeastern Conference North champion Peabody or English, which is 11-5, to make the postseason.

Keila Brown led Classical with 19 points and Pierina Mora contributed 10 with 16 rebounds. Christina McKenzie (8 points), Frances Mathieu (13 rebounds) and Bryanna Connolly (5 points) also came up big.

Connolly was key down the stretch, hitting a free throw to put the Rams up by two, 55-53. Salem got the ball back and had a chance to tie or take the lead with a half of a second on the clock, but Connolly deflected the ball to end the game.

The Classical High girls basketball team kept its hopes for a trip to the postseason alive with a 63-29 win over Mt. St. Joseph's Thursday in Brighton.
The Rams (9-8) need to win one of their final three games. They still have Salem, Peabody and English on the docket.
"We're still in striking distance," Classical coach Tom Sawyer said. "It won't be an easy road."
Solid defense and balanced scoring did the trick against Mt. St. Joseph's. Keila Brown led the pack with 14 points, but Christina McKenzie and Peirina Mora were right on her heels with 13 points. Sochetta Men contributed 10.
It was the defense, however, that Sawyer was most pleased about.
"The story was our defense. We only gave up 29 points," he said.

Beverly 44, Classical 40

At Beverly, the Rams (8-8, 6-7 Northeastern Conference) couldn't get into a rhythm, although they did trim a nine-point deficit down in the final few minutes. Keila Brown had 11 points for Classical and Christina McKenzie added nine. Pierina Mora also played well with nine points.

Classical 55, Revere 52

At Revere, the Rams (8-7, 6-6 Northeastern Conference) kept their tournament hopes alive, although there were a few anxious moments in this one. Classical trailed by four with two minutes remaining, and then the Rams held their breath when a Christina Cavagnaro last-ditch shot that would have tied it missed. Keila Brown (14 points) and Christina McKenzie (13 points) supplied an offensive lift for Classical along with Pierina Mora, who had nine points.

Revere (6-10) continues to play just about everyone tough. Morgan Jenkins led the Patriots with 14 points and Cavagnaro finished with 11.

Classical 44, Marblehead 31

At Marblehead, the Rams (7-7, 5-6 Northeastern Conference) rode the hot hands of Keila Brown and Christina McKenzie, who each had 11 points. Pierina Mora added eight. Laura Kanarski led the Magicians with eight points.

Classical 63, Mt. St. Joseph's 37

At Classical, the Rams (6-7, 4-6 Northeastern Conference) got the job done with a balanced scoring attack, solid defense and much-improved free-throw shooting. Frances Mathieu led the offense with 15 points and Christina McKenzie was good for 13 points. Shardaye Berry (7 points) and Pierina Mora and Sochetta Men, six points each, contributed as well.

Danvers High sharpshooter Danielle Sherry needed eight points to hit the 1,000 career-point milestone heading into Friday night's game against Classical and she didn't waste any time doing it.Sherry hit the jackpot on a free throw in the first quarter and went on to lead her team to a 47-38 win at Classical. Sherry finished with 22 points.
"She's very difficult to defend," Classical coach Tom Sawyer said. "She's a very good outside shooting, but she can also take the ball inside."
Classical hung in most of the game, but fouls down the stretch helped swell the final scorer.
"Turnovers killed us," Sawyer said. "We had too many trips down the floor where we didn't' even get off a shot."
Christina McKenzie had 10 points for the Rams, who are 5-7. Danvers has won four in a row and six of its last seven games.
"Classical played very tough," Danvers coach Pat Veilleux said. "It was nice to get a win on the road and for Danielle to get her 1,000th."

Gloucester 48, Classical 43
By Joyce Erekson / The Daily Item, 1/19/08
At Gloucester, junior forward Pierina Mora scored 16 points and pulled down 18 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to keep the Fishermen at bay. Shante Berry had eight points and Francis Matheiu, six points. Jill Lukegord had 15 points and Hannah Cain, 12, for Gloucester (7-4).

Winthrop guard Courtney Finn needed 17 points to reach 1,000 career points heading into Tuesday's game against Classical, and for most players, that would be a stretch. For Finn, however, it was just another day at the office.
The junior buried seven 3-pointers to finish with 30 points, nearly twice as many as she needed to earn a spot on the banner at Winthrop High School. The Vikings won the game, 55-32, at Classical.
"It was a good show," Winthrop coach Peter Grimes said. "It was worth the admission."
Finn accomplished the feat in only 56 games. She's now chasing another great Winthrop High player, Liz Doherty, for the all-time scoring record at the school. Doherty had close to 1,300 points. Grimes wasn't sure of the exact number.
Although the Vikings (8-1, 6-1 Northeastern Conference) were without one of their top guns, Katarina Mallios (ankle), the rest of the team more than picked up the slack. Nicole Giaquinto finished with 11 points and Kristen Finn with 10 points.
Classical (5-5, 4-4 Northeastern Conference) couldn't do much to offset the potent Winthrop attack. Bryanna Connolly finished with 11 points and Christina McKenzie had seven.
"Courtney Finn almost outscored us by herself," Classical coach Tom Sawyer said.

SWAMPSCOTT -- Too much Tara Nimkar. Classical High girls basketball coach Tom Sawyer knew heading into Friday's clash with Swampscott his team would have to find a way to at least slow down Nimkar. It didn't happen.
The Big Blue won 58-36 and Nimkar supplied half the offense with 24 points.
Allie Beaulieu threw a little salt in the wound with 17 points.
"Too much Tara Nimkar," Classical coach Tom Sawyer said.
"That was the problem. She does a tremendous job getting herself in an open position to receive the ball ... Even when we tried to fully deny her she was able to shake the defense and get herself open."
Swampscott (9-1) went on a 10-0 run in the first quarter to take the lead for good, but Classical (5-4) stayed within striking distance until midway through the third quarter.
Back-to-back threes by Beaulieu and Jenn Cleary turned a seven-point spread into a 13-point lead in a hurry.
"We didn't really do a good job executing our game plan, but you have to give credit to Swampscott for that," Sawyer said.
Although she didn't score a point, Swampscott guard Marissa Gambale provided the Big Blue with the early spark.
"She really got us going early," Swampscott coach Jack Hughes said.
"She did a good job pushing the ball up the court, hitting people, making them have to get back quickly."
Hughes said he very happy with the way his team is progressing, particularly Kara Gilberg (8 points) and Cleary (5 points).
"They're getting more confidence which means you can't stack everyone up on Nimkar and Beaulieu," Hughes said.
Senior guards Bryanna Connolly and Keila Brown each had eight points for Classical with Shardaye Berry checking in with six.
"Bryanna Connolly gave everything she had. She left it all out on the floor," Sawyer said. "She's quick and she uses her quickness."
Swampscott, whose only loss was to Pentucket in the Haverhill tournament, plays Revere next.
Things don't get any easier for the Rams next week. They'll play Winthrop at home on Tuesday.

Christian Mielcarek / For The Item, January 5, 2008

LYNN -- English's campaign to rule the Northeastern Conference garnered support and gained momentum with its 54-50 victory over archrival Classical.
The win improved the Bulldog's record to an impressive 6-1.
"This is the best start the school's had in 15 years," said English coach Fred Hogan.
For much of the contest, it was a battle of the two point guards. While neither had a monster scoring night, they both set the tone for their teams and the pace of the game.
Bulldog Jenicia Duggins had a stellar night and continued to impress early into her high school career. The 5-4 sophomore dropped in 11 points to go along with seven boards, six assists and six steals.
"She played very well," Hogan said. "We always say 'Our young girls are getting the chance to grow up on the court'."
Keila Brown only had five points for the Rams, but her style of play caused a persistent problem for English. Brown weaved in and out of the defense and played with her typical reckless abandon and compiled six rebounds and four assists.
Classical (4-3) opened the game on a 7-2 run, but the Bulldogs methodically crept back throughout the first quarter, and at the conclusion, they trailed 13-12.
The second quarter was a back and forth battle. Both teams swapped the lead six times, and as they headed into their respective areas for halftime, the score was even at 26.
English took control of the game in the early moments of the second half when its 12-3 run in the third quarter provided the team a lead they would not relinquish.
"We need to execute better," said Ram coach Tom Sawyer. "It's easy to execute in practice, but we need to do it in a game situation. When emotions are flowing and the crowd gets going, we need to be able to focus and execute."
Classical raised the tension level in the fourth quarter and were as close as five on multiple occasions but never managed to pull any closer than the final four-point deficit.
The Bulldog made the focal point of their defense Ram's tri-captain Christina McKenzie and held the scorer to six points.
"We have a lot of respect for her," Hogan said. "She's their offense. After the game, I told her we played defense the way we did because of her. We respect her skills a lot."
Classical received an especially strong effort from two of their bench players. Junior Sochitta Men scored five points and pulled down 11 rebounds (five on the offensive end) and Pierina Mora earned mention from her coach as a result of her ten point performance.
"Coach (Kevin) McDormand works with all the forwards," Sawyer said. "He focuses on the fundamentals, and Sochitta has been getting better and better every game."
Along with Duggins, Jeanette Anderson played another solid game for English. Anderson was a force under the glass and had 12 points, 12 rebounds, two blocks and two steals, all while playing fewer minutes than normal due to early foul trouble.
Kayla Murkinson also played well and scored ten points for the victorious home team.
The Bulldog's collective effort not only earned them their sixth win, but something maybe equally as important to the team: a weekend free of practice.
"The girls get two days off in a row for the first time this season," Hogan said. "After four straight days of practice after the (Walter) Boverini tournament, we promised them if they beat Classical they could two days in a row off, and in the locker room, they chose Saturday and Sunday."

Christina McKenzie had 14 points for the Rams and Keila Brown had nine. The Tanners (4-0) had a big game from Michele Grifoni (20 points with 9-for-10 free-throw shooting) Lindsay Consoles had eight points and eight rebounds and Janelle Rodriguez had four points and eight rebounds.
"The kids brought the effort. It's not a lack of trying," Classical coach Tom Sawyer said.
Peabody coach Jane Heil was pleased with her team's effort and happy with the competition in the Northeastern Conference.
"Every night is a challenge," Heil said. "We're working extremely hard to get these wins."

Reprinted from the Lynn Journal
The Rams looked sharp early on, charging out to a 16-9 advantage after one quarter, but the Spartans would slowly hack away at the lead. St. Mary’s actually took a lead late in the third quarter but junior forward Sochitta Men quickly put the Rams back on top with a lay-up. Spartans freshman forward Tori Faieta scored a two-point field goal on the last possession of the period to tie the game at 36 heading into the fourth quarter.
At the start of the fourth, both teams caught fire. Christina McKenzie got things started for the Rams with a three-pointer to open the quarter. The Spartans answered with a lay-up from freshman forward Cassie Amenta. Shante Berry promptly followed with another three for the Rams, but St. Mary’s answered right back again with a three at the other end from Amy Bozarjian.
Classical all but salted the game away minutes later when they went on an 11-4 run, capped off by a field-goal from Christina McKenzie. McKenzie played a starring role for the Rams with 21 points. Keila Brown was second on the team in scoring with 10 points.
“McKenzie played well,” said Rams head coach Tom Sawyer. “She is a force offensively, and she’s playing better and better defense. You’ve gotta be able to play both ends of the floor and she’s improved each and every week… The kids hung tough and executed down the stretch. That’s what we’ve been looking for all year long and they brought it today.”
The Spartans were led in scoring by Tori Faieta, who finished with 17 points, while Jenna Blydell added 14. “I thought we played better than we’ve been playing,” said St. Mary’s head coach Jeff Newhall. “I saw a lot of good things happen. We had our opportunities. We’re a young team and coming into a new situation sometimes we struggle but the next time we’re in that situation I anticipate we’ll do better.”

The Classical High Girls Basketball team survived a scare, and still managed to pull out a 45-39 win over Salem Tuesday at Salem.
The Rams held a seemingly comfortable 25-6 lead at the half, but the Witches fought their way back into the game and at one point came to within three points.
"We weathered the storm and came out victorious," Classical coach Tom Sawyer said.
Shardaye Berry was the big gun for the Rams, scoring 14 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Schitte Men also had a good game, scoring seven points with 10 rebounds. Christina McKenzie (10 points) cooled down a little from her first two games, where she scored 23 and 21 points, but she still helped out with 10. Keila Brown also had seven.
"We told them at the half that Salem will make a run and they did," Sawyer said, adding his team was up by as many as 19 early on.

LYNN -- Christina McKenzie scored 19 second-half points, including a 3-pointer with 42 seconds remaining, to lead the Classical girls basketball team to a 54-47 come-from-behind win over Beverly Friday at Classical.

McKenzie, who only had two points in the first half, found her groove and then some after the break. She scored three of her five threes in a 3 1/2 minute span in the third quarter to bring the Rams, who trailed 30-18 at the half, back.

"The most important thing is that we trailed for three quarters and the kids stuck with it, they executed well," Classical coach Tom Sawyer said. "Here's a kid (McKenzie) whose shot wasn't going in in the first half. We told her (and the other players), if you're open, shoot the ball. You can't worry about the last one or you'll miss the next one."

Beverly coach Matt Smith knew McKenzie, who scored 23 points against Peabody earlier in the week, could do some damage, but stopping her proved easier said than done.
"You can't leave a good shooter by herself," Smith said. "We didn't execute defensively."

Beverly (0-2) still led (37-33) heading into the fourth quarter, but the Rams (2-0) didn't let up. McKenzie hit another three to close the gap to 39-36 and Shardaye Berry (8 points) hit a bucket to cut the lead to one.

The Panthers started to pull away again with just under four minutes remaining, taking a 45-40 lead on two free throws, but Classical didn't buckle. Keila Brown, who kept the Rams in the running with 11 first-half points, supplied the late-game heroics defensively and at the free-throw line. Brown, who finished with 20 points, had a hoop and a free throw to help close the gap to 47-45 with 1:14 remaining. That set the stage for McKenzie, whose 3-pointer with 42 seconds remaining put the Rams ahead, 48-47.

Beverly still had time to pull this one out, but Brown stole the ball at midcourt on the ensuing possession and got fouled in the process. She hit both shots to make the score 50-47. At this point, the Panthers had to foul to get the ball back. The Rams hadn't been impressive at the line earlier in the night, but McKenzie nailed a pair with 16 seconds remaining and Brown hit two more in the waning seconds. The two combined went 6-for-6 from the line in the final 18 seconds.

The girls basketball team had their opening game last night vs Revere at Revere and we were proud of the way we played. Of course, there's still work that needs to be done, but with a whole new bench, we couldn't be prouder.
Returning seniors include Keila Brown, Shante Berry, Shardaye Berry, Jillian Reddy, Bryanna Conolly (who's out on an injury,) and me, are ready to do business. Also returning are Frances Mathieu, Sochitta Men, and Ashley Flores. We have a newcomer who's a freshman, Hannah Byrnes. The younger players are bringing a lot to the table and we hope they keep it up.

Last night we started a little rusty in the first quarter but we then pulled it together and kept it together for the last three quarters . We played with heart and confidence and it pulled us through for a win. When the time came we dug deep and it paid off. Our coach Tom Sawyer is another top reason why we won. He identified the issues and addressed them to his players, gave us the corrections, and we went out there and did what we could to perfect them. He did an amazing job and we believe he has high expectations of us.

The way we played last night makes me believe that we can beat anyone in the NEC. We just have to play hard every quarter of the game and, most of all, stay together as a team. We do this and we will be just fine, ladies. I'm proud of us all and I'm confident we can get to were we want to be.

Game 1 -Classical 63, Revere 53
Reprinted from the Daily Item 12/12/07
At Revere, the Rams (1-0) struggled defensively in the first quarter, giving up 17 points. But they would settle down from there and used 23 points from Christina McKenzie to get the win.
"I was very happy with the effort that the kids brought," Classical coach Tom Sawyer said.
Kayla Brown also reached double figures with 15 points and Sochitta Men had seven of her eight points down the stretch to put the game away.
Revere (1-1) got 13 points from Christina Cavagnaro and nine from Morgan Jenkins.
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Classical Steps Up for Duchane Jamboree
The Paul Duchane jamboree got the girls basketball season off to a rousing start Saturday night at Lynn Classical.

The Rams used strong runs to begin and close the game in their victory. Classical sprinted to a quick 9-0 edge behind the hot shooting of Christina McKenzie, but they saw their advantage shrink to just 12-8 at the break.
Wakefield fought back to tie the game at 16, but the Rams went on another run to seal the win. They outscored Wakefield 13-2 over the final five minutes, with Frances Mathieu and Shante Berry providing some instant offense.
"I liked the energy tonight," said Classical coach Tom Sawyer. "We talked a lot about energy and effort. If they bring it (every night), we have a chance to compete with anyone."
McKenzie led the Rams with 11 points, while Keila Brown chipped in 7.

By Joyce Erekson / The Daily Item, Wednesday, November 27, 2007

Classical coach Tom Sawyer is counting on a solid contingent of returning seniors and an assortment of talented underclassmen to get the job done this season. The Rams finished 7-13 last year.

Graduation took its toll on Classical. Taneka Brown, the Rams' main offensive threat, is playing at Merrimack College and Tonisha Tate has graduated. Tate missed most of her senior year with an injury. Lauren Kolodziej and Cierra Campbell also graduated.

The good news for the Rams is that 51 players showed up for the first day of tryouts, including 18 freshmen. Sawyer was very happy with the freshman turnout, particularly given the fact the players turned out despite having to make the bus ride from Fecteau-Leary to the O'Callaghan Way school.

Among the returning players are senior captains Jill Reddy, Keila Brown and Christina McKenzie. Reddy is a forward and Brown and McKenzie are guards. They'll be joined by fellow seniors Shardaye Berry (forward), Shante Berry (guard) and Bryanna Connolly (guard).

"We're counting on Keila Brown to run the show, to get her own points and set up her teammates," Sawyer said, adding he's looking for McKenzie to pick up some of the offense he lost.

"Everybody is going to have to pick up their game," he said.

Sawyer will be joined on the sidelines by Kevin McDormand and Matt Ridley, who will help out with the JV and varsity. Dennis Baldini will coach the junior varsity and Cara Baldini, a former Classical High player, will coach the freshmen along with Caileen Mahoney, a teacher at the school who played at Lynnfield High under former coach Brian McDormand.

"We want to play hard, be competitive, play good defense and see what that brings us in terms of wins," Sawyer said.

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